So far away #1: No obligations
by TaleWeaver
Summary: If Alex hadn't translated the book and really had died of an accident, how would the matter of Tess' pregnancy be changed?


Title: No obligations  
Series: So far away #1  
Author: TaleWeaver  
Rating: PG. Sexual references and Max bashing.  
Roswell Improv: #1. Memory, servant, air, idolize  
Disclaimer: The original Roswell characters belong to Melinda Metz,   
and adapted for television by Jason Katims. The series title comes   
from the Dire Straits song.  
Spoiler: Up to opening credits of 'Baby, it's you'. Also includes   
speculation on the purpose Tess revealed in 'Departure'.   
Pairings: Tess/Max, minor Max/Liz, Tess/Kyle  
Summary: If Alex hadn't translated the book and really had died of an   
accident, how would Max, Liz and Tess' pregnancy be affected?  
Author's notes: I'm setting up a story arc, so what you may see as an   
incorrect detail is actually part of my grand plan (okay, so it's not all   
that grand. Sounds good though doesn't it?).  
Muse-ic: 'Breakin' me' - Johnny Lang, 'I shall believe' and 'My   
favourite mistake' - Sheryl Crow. (Both Sheryl Crow songs can be   
downloaded at Roswell Mp3's, the other one on AudioGalaxy.)  
  
*  
  
'Need I say I love you  
Need I say I care?  
Need I say that emotion   
Is something we don't share…'  
  
  
He knew something was wrong the second he saw her.  
  
Kyle didn't like to think about why he recognized Tess from three   
blocks down the street; it went way too close to emotions he didn't   
think about - not since prom. Not since the other night when Max had   
brought Tess home at 2 AM on a school night.  
  
He threw a U turn and drove alongside her. Tess' gait was somewhere   
between a stalk and a march; even though she was moving so stiffly,   
something brought destruction to mind. He had to call her name three   
times before she turned to face him. She climbed in the car like an   
automaton, not speaking.  
  
They drove home in silence. As Kyle pulled the handbrake, Tess   
silently climbed out and went in the house, unlocking and opening the   
door with her powers so she entered at an unbroken pace. Kyle   
hurried after her, knowing something was very, very, wrong. And that   
he was starting to get very, very scared.  
  
He hurried in after her, throwing a quick glance in her bedroom to   
make sure she was in there. He took a quick detour to the kitchen,   
then quietly came in to join her on the bed, back propped up against   
the wall. Her head was high but her shoulders were slumped, eyes   
vacantly staring at the opposite wall, and the poster of the night sky   
she'd put up.  
  
He handed her the glass of chocolate milk liberally laced with Tabasco   
sauce, and she automatically sipped. As she swallowed, a bit of life   
came back into her eyes, and she turned to him and gave him the   
beginnings of a smile, before it faded away. Kyle carefully put his   
arm around her shoulders, and she took a couple more sips before   
settling the glass in her lap. Though he'd been expecting it, it still took   
him by surprise when she slumped over, her head resting on his   
shoulder. She didn't shake, her breath didn't come in sobs, but he   
knew she was crying; the tears coming from a desolation so profound   
it froze her.  
  
He didn't ask her to tell him what was wrong, she just did. She didn't   
ask him to listen without judgement, she knew he would.  
  
*  
  
Tess sat on the park bench, breathing in the delightfully cool night air   
as she waited for Max. She couldn't stop recalling the night before.   
The memory of his skin warm against her own, of feeling like she was   
floating in the exultation of fulfilled purpose, as her eyes automatically   
picked out the flashing V of their home star system in the sky beyond   
the telescope.  
  
She almost hugged herself, wanting again to feel the mind-to-mind   
connection she'd made with her child, when it had shyly reached out   
to let her know it was inside her, to tell her that she had created a new   
life.  
  
Tess wasn't nearly as naïve when it came to 'destiny' as her podmates   
thought; she knew that Max wasn't going to be wild with joy over   
what she had to tell him. But this is what she had been working   
toward since the first time Nasedo took her hand as she came out of   
the pod. Now that he loved her, now that they had created a child,   
Max would not only accept that his place was on Antar, but he would   
truly *want* to go home. That's what had really kept the Royal four   
on Earth - their leader had everything he wanted here, so here they   
stayed.  
  
All they had to do was figure out a way to translate the book and go   
home to Antar, and the promise she had made in another lifetime   
would be fulfilled; Antar would be governed by a leader that would   
understand that the people came first, a leader that would be accepted   
by every citizen.  
  
She had been trained to be sensitive to others' moods since childhood,   
Max's most of all. So when he sat beside her, her most deep-seated   
instinct, that of self-protection, told her something was wrong. When   
she said that she had something to tell him, when he replied that he   
had something to tell her also, that instinct told her to let him go first.  
  
That instinct kept her still and quiet as Max hesitatingly told her that   
he and Liz had reconciled that very afternoon. That sometime last   
night - and Tess would bet that it was about the very same time Max   
had lowered her onto the sleeping bag on the observatory floor - Liz   
had realized that she'd been using the 'aliens murdered Alex' theory as   
an excuse to avoid her grief; to avoid the thought that she could have   
prevented his death if she'd just done something… anything. Tess   
could have sympathized with that in any other circumstances, she'd   
had enough of those thoughts herself in the past few weeks. But not   
when it had lead to nearly all her hopes and plans tumbling down with   
a crash so resounding that she wondered if Khivar could hear it.  
  
Max told her that he would never forget what they'd shared; fumbling   
with the words so badly that she couldn't miss the fact that the only   
thing Max felt about her was regret and embarrassment, even if she   
had been oblivious as Isabel in the throes of a shopping spree with her   
father's Amex gold. Ever since she'd first come to town, the primary   
emotions she sparked in Max were not joy and acceptance, but   
embarrassment and resentment; Tess had thought they'd overcome   
that, but now that Max had no further use or need for her it had come   
rushing back.  
  
The instinct for self-protection enclosed her in a frozen fortress that   
was impervious to any hurt, by turning all the warmth in her to ice, all   
except the glowing coal in her womb that was her child, and the   
dancing candle-flame in the section of her heart that belonged to two   
men with matching bright blue eyes.   
  
*  
  
Kyle held her as she wept, making soothing noises. He resolved to   
punch Max out in as public a place as possible, first thing tomorrow.   
Maybe in the CrashDown, before he told Liz exactly why. That   
should put a severe dent in the asshole's halo.  
  
Not to mention the shock Evans would get when he discovered that   
Michael and Maria would both be firmly on Tess' side in this. Maria   
had strong issues with abandonment; not surprising, considering that   
her father had left after Amy had told him about her pregnancy.   
Michael had shied away from any kind of commitment most of his life   
mostly because he took responsibility extremely seriously; once he   
took on an obligation, he kept it come what may. Kyle was very sure   
that if Michael and Maria ever made love, Michael would give up any   
thoughts of making a home anywhere except with her.   
  
"Don't worry, Tess," Kyle told her softly. "He won't get away with   
doing this to you. He's messed up my family for the last time."  
  
Tess shook her head, the platinum blond curtain of her hair brushing   
against his chin. "Don't say anything to anyone, Kyle. The sooner he   
has no reason to concern himself with me, the better. Max and I have   
no obligations to each other - I made sure he understood that."  
  
Kyle gazed down at the crown of her head, frowning. There was   
something specific behind that statement.  
  
*  
  
Tess watched Max watching his feet - unable to even look at the face   
of the girl whom he'd betrayed his promises to in two lifetimes - and   
the mind that Nasedo had trained to always calculate the next option   
automatically began to work out was necessary, and to weigh the   
factors that would aid and hinder her plan.  
  
Max Evans would never have another chance to regain what he had   
thrown away this night. He would never have a chance to hurt her   
again. He would never have even a single opportunity to hurt her   
baby.  
  
As for the people of Antar? They would have to accept only two lives   
now. She would have to be even more careful now, because this was   
her only chance to keep the oath she had sworn to them. Tess was the   
servant of her people, but to her vague astonishment her devotion to   
them had limits after all; because no matter how many lives depended   
on having a true heir on the throne, she could never let Max Evans   
touch her again.  
  
"Max?"  
  
"Yes?" her once husband and King muttered. He didn't even have the   
courage to say her name, and her disillusionment in him grew.   
  
"We need to get some things straight right now, so we can go on with   
our lives." At her cool tone of voice, Max lifted his head and looked   
at her for the first time since he'd sat down.  
  
"Let's make it perfectly clear; you can gambol back to Liz and never   
give a thought to me. Shocking as it may seem, Max," Tess' lips   
twisted in a smirk, perversely enjoying the way Max flinched when   
she said his name, "But I can survive without you. In return, you will   
never inflict yourself on me or my life ever again." Her hand shot out   
and grabbed Max's chin, digging her nails in as she forced his eyes to   
meet hers. Her voice was heavy with emphasis as she told him, "From   
this moment on, we owe each other nothing. No obligations, no   
considerations. Say that you understand and accept this." Tess gave   
him a slight mental nudge to make sure he used the exact words that   
sealed a formal, legally binding oath on Antar.  
  
"We owe each other nothing. I accept and acknowledge this," Max   
repeated.   
  
Tess dug her nails in once more from sheer malice before she stood.   
The ice that filled her body held her steady as she turned on her heel   
and stalked away. Max Evans would never dismiss her again.  
  
*  
  
As she settled her head more comfortably on his shoulder, her body   
leaning back against the wall again, Kyle stroked Tess' hair, so proud   
of her that he couldn't help but smile. Something he'd learned very   
early in life was that you never let anyone know that they had hurt   
you.  
  
The repetitive motion of his own hand drew his attention to the one   
Tess was making. Her right hand was resting on her stomach, and she   
was absently rubbing in circles.  
  
"Tess? Did I put too much Tabasco in the milk or something?"  
  
Tess looked at him in surprise, and then down at her stomach. She   
gave a wan smile and told him, "It calms the baby. My distress makes   
it agitated."  
  
Kyle looked at her as if she'd hit him with an electric cattle prod.   
"You're PREGNANT! How long ago did you and Max start… well,   
you know."  
  
"Just last night."  
  
"And you already know?" Kyle stared at her and added, "And what   
about Max - he doesn't know, does he?"  
  
"Yes, I do know - hybrids have a lot shorter gestation period than   
humans. And Max isn't ever going to know."  
  
"Why? He did this to you and you're going to let him just get away   
with it?"  
  
Tess' eyes turned navy blue with determination. "If I told Max about   
the baby, what do you think would happen? My child would grow up   
knowing that its' father thought it was the worst mistake of his life. Or   
what if I told him and left town? Ten years from now, when he and   
Liz are married in a cute house with a white picket fence, he decides   
that *now* he's ready to be a father and destroys whatever life my   
child and I have together so he can restore his holier-than-thou self-  
image. I offered him eternity, and he threw me away like a used   
Kleenex. He doesn't want me, well I don't want him coming near me   
or mine ever again."  
  
"How can you hide it - you're leaving Roswell, aren't you?" Kyle   
asked in a wondering tone, as her plan became clear.  
  
Tess nodded. "I have to, Kyle, not just because of Max. My baby's   
going to be born in about a month. No way could I stay in town and   
not have someone notice THAT."  
  
Kyle nodded in acknowledgment of her point, his mind working.   
"Where are you going?"  
  
Tess shrugged. "I'll make some phone calls once I get to a big city.   
Nasedo and I spent ten years on the run; I have contacts in places not   
even Jim could imagine. Nasedo left a lot of money behind, too -   
where do you think that new TV I gave you guys for Christmas came   
from? I have enough to support both of us for several years, at least,   
and then I know a few only semi-illegal ways to get more. I have   
Jim's email address, so I'll make sure you guys know I'm safe."  
  
Kyle shook his head and told her, "I'm going with you."  
  
"Kyle-"  
  
"Don't bother arguing. You're family, Tess, and I'm not going to let   
you do this without me to back you up." Kyle's voice left no room for   
doubt. "Besides, no matter how good a story you give Dad, he'll wind   
up getting the truth out of me somehow."  
  
Tess grimaced in silent acknowledgement of his point. They both   
knew without discussing it that Jim would have to be given some sort   
of cover story; Michael wasn't the only one who took responsibilities   
deathly seriously. If Jim knew Tess was pregnant, no matter how   
faithfully he promised to keep it quiet, within two days tops he'd be   
demanding that Max act like a man and live up to his obligations.  
  
"It's kind of ironic, you know?" Tess sighed. "What's that saying -   
those who forget the past are condemned to relive it? When he was   
Zanthos and I was Vilandra, I idolized him. But he shattered the   
image of who I thought he was, and I ended up doing the unthinkable   
to keep the oath I'd vowed to keep above all others. This time around,   
I knew exactly what could happen, but I still fell into almost the same   
trap because I was hoping so badly that things could be different."  
  
Kyle tilted his head to the side, and told her, "You do realize I have   
very little idea of what you meant there, don't you?"  
  
Tess smirked and nodded. "Gotta cheer myself up somehow, Kyle.   
I'll explain the whole thing to you along the road, somewhere - once   
I'm sure that you'll understand why."  
  
*  
  
About twenty-four hours later, Tess and Kyle were in his mustang,   
headed down Main Street.   
  
Jim had been told a little about the more unsavoury acquaintances that   
Nasedo had developed during his years on the run with Tess. That   
naturally led into Tess telling him that she'd seen one in Roswell the   
day before, and that she might be in considerable danger if he was still   
mad about a certain trick Nasedo had played on him the last time   
they'd met (concerning a quarter-million dollars and a goat).   
  
Kyle had pointed out that night before that the Valenti men, for one,   
had never been told exactly who had killed Nasedo - or even that it   
was definitely an alien who'd done it, since Max had followed his   
usual practice of not telling anyone anything, especially if they might   
need to know it. Tess herself hadn't even found out about Whittaker's   
confession until the road trip to her funeral, and that was from a oddly   
distant Isabel. So telling Jim that a human might very well have killed   
Nasedo leant a certain urgency to Tess' reasons for leaving Roswell   
now or sooner.  
  
Jim had also accepted Kyle's going with her with a certain amount of   
grace. He'd been very worried about Kyle's schooling, but Tess had   
told him a few stories (quite true, as it happened) about how she'd   
covered up missing large chunks of school due to her migratory   
lifestyle before coming to Roswell, and Jim had been reassured.   
Above everything else, the Valenti men understood what it meant to   
protect people who'd placed their trust in you, and Jim knew better   
than Tess did why Kyle couldn't let her go alone.  
  
At a quiet command from Tess, Kyle stopped the car across from the   
CrashDown. Although the café was technically closed, the lights were   
still on and they could clearly see Liz and Max cheerfully splitting an   
Alien Blast and playing footsie under the table.  
  
Kyle could clearly hear the derision in Tess' voice as she told him,   
"He's going to regret it, you know. One day he's going to wake up   
and realize that life with Liz isn't enough to satisfy him, and that I was   
right all along. He may come looking for me, maybe not, but either   
way, one day he's going to realize just what he threw away, and that   
he'll never get it back." She turned to him and smirked, saying, "I find   
that really satisfying." Her face became serious as she put a soft hand   
over his on the gearshift, and told him, "Thank you, Kyle. If you ever   
want to go your own way, you can, but I'm very grateful that you're   
coming with us."  
  
Kyle gave her a gentle smile and said, "Nothing to thank me for.   
Besides, I have the feeling that one day I'm going to be thanking you   
for letting me come."  
  
Tess squeezed his hand gently, then broke into a smile and told him,   
"Let's blow this dust bowl, already."  
  
"As you command, your highness," Kyle snickered as he put the   
mustang into gear and drove away.  
  
And as they left Roswell behind them, Tess turned on the radio, rested   
her head on the back of the seat, and smiled up at the stars.  
  
'Someday you'll be sorry, someday when you believe.  
These memories will remind you, that our love was meant to be.  
But late at night when you call my name, the only sound you'll hear  
Is the sound of your voice calling,  
Calling after me.'  
'Throwing it all away', Genesis 


End file.
